


The Eternity of Death

by Deathismydaddy



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-17 16:02:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29353143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deathismydaddy/pseuds/Deathismydaddy
Relationships: Thanatos/Zagreus (Hades Video Game)
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

1

I watched Dusa dust the ornaments on the pedestals as I thought to myself how quiet it had been today, or tonight, or whatever time it is. Perhaps there was a truce, a lull in the war up above, or more likely Hypnos was sleeping on the job again and hadn't managed to organise the never ending trickle of new shades into the Masters hall well enough to keep a steady flow. I made a mental note to avoid Lord Hades for a while; this quiet wouldn't last once Hypnos' slacking caught up with him, and the Master will not be pleased once that happens. 

With everything that's going on with the Prince, the Master has been more on edge than normal, especially as the lad's conversations with his mother became more frequent. I had been hesitant to assist the boy to begin with, I feared that the Lord of the Dead would renege on our deal and punish Pat for my actions, and by the gods I would never do that to him again. But the Lady Nyx assured me that I was simply doing what Lord Hades had tasked me with… Training the young God in spear, sword and shield. Nyx gave me her word she would hide any evidence of my further involvement, and now… Now I'm glad I trusted her. It had been a long time since I trusted a god after what they did to me in life, but Nyx is different. Older. Less occupied with being loved, revered or feared by the mass of mortals that resides above. She kept her word and now my trust has paid off. The boy freed me from my pact. Freed us. Something I will never be out of his debt for… 

I shuffled on my rug and adjusted my spear. The slight noise makes Dusa flinch. 

"Everything okay Dusa? I apologise if I disturbed your cleaning." I chuckled as the little Gorgon trembled for some reason. 

"Oh! O-oh, Achilles. I'm sorry, I forgot you were there! W-well I'd better, um, cleaning to do!" She managed to stutter out before shooting off into the rafters. 

Dusa was one of my favourites of the regulars down here, she always managed to keep the whole house spotless, no small feat for one Gorgon, so I never understood why Nyx insisted on reprimanding her for the littlest infraction of her duties… But who am I to question the gods? 

That thought draws a smirk. Surely, the fates would understand me - of all people - questioning the will of the Gods, after all I did for their glory.

This line of thought is quickly cut off, as my whole body goes cold in an instant. This is odd, I think to myself, not because I can actually feel something (something that passes after a few hundred years of being a shade of the underworld). It's strange because… Because it feels like something I never thought I would feel again. One of the few things I can recall from my early years, back when I was truly mortal… It feels like the kiss of the River Styx.


	2. Chapter 2

2

"Achilles…" 

My name, barely more than a whisper. The cold dread passed as keenly as it had arrived, and I am filled with a feeling of… of contentedness. It's as if someone had distilled the comfort and warmth that I last felt before I died - the last time Pat and I lay together as mortal men - and submerged me in it. My worries, my fears, all melted away and what's left was just… Peace. 

This feeling was one I would never get used to, but also one I would never get tired of. It does make me wish, however, I had lived a more 'ordinary' life, and been able to enter the Underworld this way instead of how I did… 

"Thanatos." I replied, failing to keep my composure as a smile broke out on my face. This feeling seemed to follow Thanatos around wherever his duties took him, those among the shades that were brought here by Thanatos often recall that this is the last thing they remember from life, this feeling of warmth and peace, before they took his hand and moved over to the next life. It's almost a shame that of all the beings associated with death and the afterlife, the mortals seem to be the most afraid of Thanatos. In reality this is the most pleasant of all the many ways you make your way down here. "What brings you over to my post?" I turned and his golden eyes locked onto mine, as if searching my very soul. 

The God of Death was a rare sight here in the Hall, and when his duties did allow him to be here it was normally to be addressed by Lord Hades or discipline his brother, sometimes both, but either followed by time spent dutifully staring out into the blood red waters of the Styx. Almost as if he were analysing it's meandering flow, studying it's movements as one would a foe on the battlefield. Through my time of employment here, this is how I'd come to most often see him, standing at the balcony in the West Hall. I will admit his visits have got more frequent as of late; maybe he appreciates the furniture that has appeared over there, after all the colour and styling of the suite does seem to suit him. The Prince has always taken after his birth mother in that regard, seemingly born with a keen eye for fashion and interior design. 

"Achilles." Thanatos repeated, suddenly sounding uncharacteristically unsure of himself. "I… I wondered if you might be able to assist me in a somewhat… Personal matter. 

If my earlier failure to hide my smile went unnoticed, then my surprise at this sentence coming from the normally emotionless, stoic and somewhat distant Chthonic God of Death, feared and respected by Gods and Mortals alike definitely did not. 

"I mean to say… Well. It concerns a mortal matter I am not overly familiar with, despite my many dealings with their kind in the world of the living." 

"Of… of course Thanatos." I stutter, trying my best to hide my shock. "I'll help as best I can, though I'm not sure how much I will be able to, given how long I've been down here." 

"I doubt that will affect your ability to help me with this. In fact your employment here is why you may be the best person to talk to concerning this.'' the God stated. 

"Then by all means Thanatos, how can I help?" For somebody who takes care to present himself as emotionless and stoic as possible, the God seems almost nervous.


	3. Chapter 3

3

I was expecting some complex scheme he had come across up above, like Sisyphus had managed to dream up. I refrain from mentioning this out loud, as that particular story is not one of Thanatos' favourites. Speaking of which, I must ask the prince not to share what I wrote in that codex concerning those events… 

"As you may know, the mortals like to hold a feast around this season, something to do with love and companionship." 

"You mean the Feast of Eros and Psyche? What of it?" 

"That's it. Well in his incessant journeys through his father's dungeons, Zag has heard…" Thanatos caught himself. "Pardon me, Prince Zagreus heard some shades in Elysium discussing this celebration, and now seems to think that we should also observe the mortals traditions…" He faltered and dropped his gaze for a second, again something he was known for not doing. 

"Well…" I force out, trying to find something to say, if only to stop my jaw hanging any lower. The Prince, 'Zag', is having more of an impact than I previously thought on him. "Well I think that's a good suggestion. Pat and I often celebrated it back when we lived. Truth be told, some of my favourite memories came from that day." 

"We are in agreement there, Achilles. I also think it could be pleasant."

"So how can I help Thanatos? Sounds like you've put some thought into this already." 

"You're right. I have some experience of the event from my time on the surface, and as I understand it the exchange or gifting of flowers is the expected action, correct?"

"Yes, flowers are the normal exchange"

"Ah, so it's as I thought… Would there be an alternative that I could give?"

"Sure, flowers, or something else meaningful. It could be anything really. Pat and I used to exchange small gifts related to activities we enjoyed." I tapped the hand guards attached to my wrist. "Pat made these for me for example, after my previous ones wore out."

"Interesting. Zagreus has been obsessed with that Rod of Fishing he got from the contractor lately… Would a fish be suitable?" He looks defeated as he asks me, like he knows that's not quite right. 

I imagine the Prince's reaction to being gifted a fish and smile. 

"That might not get the exact reaction you're hoping for Thanatos… Maybe something he can't obtain being stuck down here like he is. Next time you're up above maybe you could take some shells from a river, something he can hold on to to remind him of you?"

"Ah, that would suffice… Thank you Achilles…" 

"Forgive me if I'm prying Thanatos;" I almost shout as he turns away, no doubt getting ready to blink out of here. "Why not give the Prince flowers? I'm sure he would appreciate them, even if they are the 'normal' thing to do" 

He stops and hangs his head, as if ashamed of something. 

"Yes, he would definitely appreciate them. If anything more so because they are the normal, mortal thing to give…"

"So… Why don't you then? I'm sure the war above hasn't changed everything. I remember fields upon fields full of rows of flowers that would be perfect." 

Thanatos locks eyes with me once again, and says nothing, holding out his fist toward me in response. I reach out and he gently lays a single flower in my palm.


	4. Chapter 4

4

It's a rose, small but perfectly formed. Such a deep, dark red that it's almost purple, the spirals of its petals beautifully complex and twisting. It's a perfect rose, so much so that I almost miss what's wrong with it. 

"I cannot." Thanatos speaks, softer than before, his voice full of sadness. "It appears human life is not the only thing affected by my touch…"

The rose, pretty and perfect as it is, has withered and dried out, like it had been left out in the sun too long. So this is why Thanatos didn't want to give flowers… Because the second he touched them they'd die. Still… 

"Thanatos, this is… This is beautiful." I exclaim. "It's perfect for what you want."

"Achilles, it's dead." The God replies, spitting out the words in disgust. "What good is a dead thing?”

I laugh. "What do you mean by that, Thanatos? I've been dead for years!" 

"That's different, this is just…"

"Just what? I'm just a dead soldier, Orpheus is just a dead musician… Sisyphus is just a dead King." 

That gets his attention. 

"I've taught Zagreus many things, Thanatos, and I thought I had nothing more to learn. I was just a dead soldier, paying his debt in the afterlife. But I was wrong, just like you are about this rose." 

"How?" He asks, angrily. Maybe mentioning Sisyphus was a mistake. 

"Zagreus has helped everybody in this house, Thanatos. Everybody he's met. He's helped Orpheus and I reconnect with our lost loves, he's reunited Nyx with Chaos, our Queen is back with her family, he got the bull's autograph for your brother, Meg is talking to her sisters again thanks to him, Tisiphone is talking. He even helped Sisyphus because he saw that he'd changed."

"He WHAT?" 

Uh oh. 

"Look, my point is that he taught me, taught all of us that just because we're dead doesn't mean that our story is over. If anything, it's just beginning. We've got an eternity down here to make up for our mistakes in life, change things, make things better. Just because something is dead doesn't mean it doesn't mean something." 

His expression changes. I think he understands. 

"Just because that flower is dead, it doesn't mean it's ruined, or worthless. If anything it's the opposite, that flower is unique, it means something because it's from you. It doesn't matter what it looks like, what matters is the meaning behind it, and nobody else could give him that flower." I explain. 

"Hmm." Is all he offers in response. Did I go too far mentioning Sisyphus? "Tell me truthfully, Achilles. Will he like it?" 

"Thanatos, trust me. He'll like anything you give him, but it's perfect. He'll love it." 

We're interrupted by Hypnos shrieking from around the corner as he's woken up by something.

"OHH. What? Who? I was just resting my eyes! Oh, Hi Zagreus! Unlucky, Satyrs got you again, huh?" 

Thanatos scowls, I'm not sure whether it's at Hypnos being asleep or Zagreus interrupting our conversation. 

"I have to go." He growls. 

I offer him the flower back, but he shakes his head. 

"Keep it. Our Queen grew beautiful roses when she was on the surface, I'm sure she won't miss a few more." He turns away before I can protest. 

"Achilles… Thank you." 

He blinks away just as the Prince rounds the corner into my corridor. 

"Hey Achilles. Saw Patroclus out there this time, he said to tell you hey, and he knows it's been a long time but he hasn't forgotten you still owe him for the handguards?"

The boy's energetic attitude was tiring to even watch. I could barely deal with dying once, how he manages to do it over and over again and still be this excited is beyond me. 

"Thanks for letting me know, Lad. If you see him again before I do, tell him I'll make it up to him." 

"Will do mate! Hey you seen Than around? I haven't seen him pretending not to like all the furniture I got for him for a while." He hops around while he's talking as if the ground is burning… Which is ironic. 

"Sorry Lad, no. I think he's busy with something on the surface…" I say, hiding a smirk. I try not to lie where possible, and this is technically true…

"Fair enough. Gotta go find Dusa anyway, something about Cerberus’ fur in the lounge again? See ya around mate!" 

He dashes off before I can say goodbye, and that's that. I look down at the small flower in my hand, and think back to all the mistakes I made in life, and in death… And how now, thanks to Zagreus, I've got another chance to fix them.


	5. Author Notes

AUTHORS NOTES

This is my first fanfic, I don't really do this sorta thing normally, so go easy on me! But a friend has got me really into Hades recently and shipping ThanZag something fierce, so figured I'd write a cute little Valentine's Day idea I had for them. 

Thought it might be cool to do from Achilles' perspective to channel the kind of vibes you get from reading the codex entries, plus I straight up love Achilles. Hope it works! The warm peaceful feeling idea comes from the fact that Thanatos is generally described as being gentle and welcoming to the dead, leaving the violent deaths to the furies. Okay, okay, it's pretty short and 'The Feast of Eros and Psyche' is slightly made up. But the origins of it in my head are seeing as Cupid is associated with love and valentine's Day, I figured the god he's based on, Eros, and his love story would be a good substitute for 'Valentines Day" in ancient Greece, seeing as valentine's day wouldn't have been celebrated back then. 

_"THE ORIGINS OF CUPID  
The origins for Cupid are in the Greek god Eros, the son of Aphrodite. The original fated-lovers story began with a human woman named Psyche. She was beautiful and men began to worship her beauty, neglecting the altar of Aphrodite. Angered that humans would neglect her for a mere mortal, Aphrodite ordered her son, Eros, to cause Psyche to fall in love with the vilest thing he could find. Upon seeing the woman, Eros fell in love with her._

_Unable or unwilling to curse her as his mother wanted, Eros chose Psyche for his wife, but he told her that she would never be able to look at him. She agreed, not knowing who he was. He hid her in a place his mother would not find her, but Psyche was allowed to see her family, a kindness he allowed since she could not see him. Since they could only spend time together at night, Psyche invited her sisters to visit during the day. Of course, they were jealous of her life and convinced her to break her husband’s trust by looking at him._

_Eros fled after Psyche’s betrayal. Full of regret for having listened to her sisters, Psyche finally sought out Aphrodite to ask her to reunite her with Eros. Aphrodite had not forgiven Psyche for attracting men away from the temples of Aphrodite and was even further angered by the fact that Eros had also defied her. Instead of helping Psyche, Aphrodite gave her four seemingly impossible tasks. The last one was a trap, and Psyche sprung it as Aphrodite knew she would. Psyche was then trapped in the realm of Hades. When Eros learned what had happened to her, he sought the help of Zeus to bring Psyche back from the dead. Unwilling to let anything else bad befall her, Eros brought Psyche back to Mount Olympus where she was bestowed immortality as his wife. Eventually, Aphrodite relented, and the couple was one of the few examples of lovers finally finding a happy ending in Greek Mythology."_

_Taken from: https://www.liokareas.com/blogs/blog/the-deep-influence-of-greek-mythology-on-valentine-s-day-long-life-and-good-food_


End file.
